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Best PEO Companies
A professional employer organization or PEO typically offers an all-in-one solution for HR, payroll management, health benefits, regulatory compliance, and other administrative business tasks. Business owners choose to outsource these time-consuming tasks so they can focus on running their businesses more efficiently.
However, there are hundreds of PEOs in the US, and choosing the right one for your business can be challenging. That’s why the Fortunly team did the research and created a list of the best PEO companies.
Best PEO Companies of November 2024
Paychex
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
- •Employee self-service system
- •HR professional support
- •Retirement and health plans
Justworks
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
- •Available in all 50 states + D.C.
- •Intuitive and easy to use
- •Human support 24/7
Insperity
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
- •Scalable online HR solutions
- •HR-related compliance, admin, and payroll
- •Risk management
ADP TotalSource
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
- •Powerful mobile app
- •Easy-to-use PEO program
- •Works with different industries
Amplify PEO
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
- •Dedicated HR team and retirement planning
- •Detailed payroll reports
- •Attendance reports to predict needs of operations
Infiniti HR
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
- •Full suit of HR services
- •Easy-to-navigate software
- •Recruitment service
Top 5 PEO Service Providers - Our Picks for 2024:
- Paychex - Best for features
- Justworks - Best live support
- Insperity - Best for small businesses and startups
- ADP Total Source - Best for benefits
- Amplify PEO - Best for professional HR services
What Is a PEO?
PEO stands for professional employer organization. PEO uses a co-employment type of approach to help businesses with administrative tasks and handling employee-related responsibilities. By employing a PEO service, businesses choose to outsource time-consuming and expensive responsibilities, like HR, payroll, compliance, and more.
Although it’s usually referred to as HR outsourcing, PEO differs from HR-only services. These companies provide the following support for businesses:
- HR services
- Payroll management
- Employee benefits
- Risk management
- Talent sourcing and development
- Employee onboarding and training
PEO is a cost-effective service for human resources and administration. It’s a fast-growing industry with over 6,432 PEOs in America. Some companies operate solely in the US, but there are also global PEO services.
Businesses operating in different corners of the world use PEOs because these services help them stay up to date with labor laws and regulations that differ from country to country.
Why Should You Use PEO?
There are many reasons why businesses choose to outsource HR and payroll responsibilities. For starters, this guarantees accuracy and that everything is completed on time. Many business owners, especially those just starting out, are not familiar with all employee-related liabilities and regulations.
This is why businesses choose to outsource payroll, worker’s compensation, and benefits tasks rather than deal with these on their own.
Instead of hiring in-house HR and administrative workers, businesses can get a team of professionals for a reasonable price. Furthermore, your company gets experts in their field who can train your employees and allow you to focus on growing your business.
Meanwhile, your employees get access to great benefits and medical plans. For small business owners, this is an excellent way to offer their workers benefits at lower rates that are usually reserved for large companies and enterprises.
However, even the best providers are not suitable for all businesses. This type of approach might be inadequate for some businesses. First of all, PEO means that an outside firm will have an impact on your company’s culture.
The crucial business processes, like payroll and HR tasks, will be delegated to someone else, so you’ll eventually be disconnected from your workers' problems and needs.
And if you plan to have an internal team of HR experts in the future, it will be hard to switch from one business model to another. Finally, many workers find this method of managing essential business processes unreliable.
Choosing a PEO
It’s important to consider all professional employer organization pros and cons before pulling the trigger on any service. But if you decide to use PEO, the next step is to find the perfect partner. Since there are so many companies on the market, it’s easy to get confused when looking for one.
First of all, think about why you need PEO. Do you need a one-time HR service, or do you want to outsource all HR responsibilities, including payroll? The providers we evaluated offer a wide range of services that you can combine to fit your business needs.
For example, if you’re doing bookkeeping on your own, you may not need anything more than help with creating employee manuals.
Another thing you should have in mind is your company size and the type of business you run. There’s no one perfect PEO for all business types, so make sure you’re familiar with what the firm offers before purchasing their services. Some providers specialize in managing payroll and HR for large companies and aren’t suitable for small businesses.
Although it’s already an industry-standard feature, check if a PEO company offers an employee self-service system. This enables your employees to access their profiles, check pay stubs and benefits. Allowing your employees to see their payments and productivity is crucial for your company’s integrity.
Speaking about worker satisfaction, the best providers should cover affordable benefits, like health, dental, and vision insurance and retirement plans. The better the employee benefits, the more talented the workers.
Detailed Reviews of PEO Services
Paychex
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Pros
- •IRS-certified
- •Full or individual services
- •Mobile app
Cons
- •No option to suspend service
- •Outdated interface
Paychex has been operating since 1971 and has more than 700,000 clients in the US and Europe. Paychex can accommodate businesses of all sizes, helping them with back-office tasks and payroll. In addition to advanced HR solutions, Paychex offers a wide range of other services, including employee benefits, business PEO insurance, employee time tracking, and more.
Ease of Use
Paychex is designed to help you with three main business needs: HR administration, payroll, and benefits. Within these broad categories, Paychex offers time tracking and attendance tools, as well as an employee self-service system that helps improve HR efficiency.
Functionality is another one of Paychex’s strengths. Although the interface feels a little outdated and can use some improvements, all the features and tools offered through this dashboard are highly functional and easy to use.
The key sections are clearly displayed and easily accessible, including an HR section, payroll services, employee benefits, and more. You can access your payroll reports through the dashboard, with all of the payroll records neatly organized.
This flexible platform enables you to enter your payroll in just two clicks. It also ensures that calculating, filing, and paying your payroll taxes are effortless processes.
Furthermore, the dashboard allows you to post job openings on social media and career sites. The HR section features great tools that will help you simplify the recruiting and onboarding processes.
Business Solutions and Pricing Plans
Paychex allows business owners to choose a solution depending on the size of their operation. It offers scalable plans that can service small companies, solo entrepreneurs, mid-sized businesses, and large corporations with thousands of employees.
When it comes to its fees, the Paychex Flex Essentials plan costs $39 per month and an additional $5 per employee. The two other plans, Paychex Flex Select and Paychex Flex Pro, are custom-based, and you’ll need to get a quote from the sales team.
The custom plans add a few advanced features such as a dedicated payroll specialist and additional employee pay options.
Features
The powerful Paychex platform provides payroll processing, HR tasks, compliance, and benefits all in one place. One of the best things about Paychex is that it offers dedicated HR support. Actual HR professionals are available 24/7 via the app, live chat, or phone support to help you to hire, manage, retain, and even terminate employees.
Moreover, the company helps determine the employee benefits that fit your business and enables you to stay compliant with changing laws and regulations. But that’s not all. With time and attendance tracking, your business can maximize payroll accuracy, and the 401(k) and retirement functions help employees reduce taxable income and grow their savings.
We’ve already touched on another great system, the employee self-service tool. This allows staff members to perform HR-related tasks without filing paperwork or even contacting the HR department. Employees can add dependents, choose their benefits, and review performance evaluations.
In addition to improving overall efficiency, the self-service portal allows for a better allocation of company resources.
User Reviews
Beyond the slightly outdated interface, Paychex is widely applauded for its user-friendly service. A number of users have also echoed our satisfaction with the company’s security procedures.
However, other user reviews only serve to confirm some of the negative aspects we’ve identified. The company’s overall score on Trustpilot is diminished by customers who complain about the unresponsiveness of the customer support team. On BBB, Paychex has an A+ rating.
Customer Support
This provider offers round-the-clock U.S.-based customer support, and its team is accessible by phone.
Other support options include guides, podcasts, and webinars that you can access on the Paychex site. There are also online lessons and tutorials to help with the adoption of Paychex employee self-service tools.
Our Opinion
Paychex’s key strength is its all-in-one HR software and service solution. It’s designed to help you simplify all the administrative and HR tasks of your business. One notable advantage is that your employees will also be able to access the software through the self-service portal, whether they are in the office or working remotely.
Justworks
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Pros
- •Plethora of customer support options
- •Integration with third-party accounting software
- •Basic plan includes tax-filing services
Cons
- •Limited reporting features
- •Medical and dental insurance available only with the high-tier plan
The next name on our list is Justworks. Accredited by the Employer Services Assurance Corporation, Justworks PEO offers a range of services that are designed to help businesses grow.
The company specializes in assisting small businesses and startups with administrative tasks, including payroll, HR services, employee healthcare, and benefits. The service includes expert support from real people.
Justworks provides its services in all 50 states, and its team ensures your business stays compliant with all federal, state, and local regulations.
Ease of Use
Justworks is a cloud-based software solution that provides payroll, HR services, benefits, and compliance support all under one roof. Like other similar programs, Justworks is designed to allow business owners to streamline payroll and other employee-related tasks and focus on other critical aspects of their businesses.
With this software, everything is just a few clicks away. As soon as you sign in, you’ll be asked to choose your employee coverage and set a date for a payroll. You’ll also get dedicated manager support to help you with onboarding.
Justworks has a very simple user interface. The left side of the dashboard displays four main software functionalities: Payroll, Benefits, HR, and Compliance. The payroll system is automated. You can set up the payment method for your employee, choose the amount and payment type.
Furthermore, Justworks integrates seamlessly with accounting software products, like Quickbooks or Xero.
Business Solutions and Pricing Plans
Justworks offers two plans: Basic and Plus. Both are customizable to accommodate a different number of employees. The Basic plan includes standard features, like payroll tax filings, HR services, and compliance support. The Plus plan has all of the basic features while adding a few more perks like medical, dental, and vision insurance.
These two Justworks pricing plans are divided into a further four categories: less than 25 employees, 25-99 employees, 100-175 employees, and more than 175 employees. Of course, the price depends on the number of employees. For example, the Basic plan for a company with 25-99 employees is $44 per month per employee.
Features
So what do you get for your money? First of all, Justworks offers extraordinary support for payroll. The software allows you to set up direct deposit payroll, track working hours, set automated reminders, and manage schedules. You can also schedule both weekly and bi-weekly payments and pay your workers through different bank accounts.
Moreover, the system supports payments for all types of workers - full-time employees, contractors, hourly employees, etc.
The software also offers a wide array of HR tools that will simplify the hiring and onboarding process. Perhaps more importantly, Justworks offers round-the-clock access to professional HR consultants that will help you figure out what’s best for your team.
The only notable downside is that Justworks’ reporting tools are only available with the more expensive Plus plan.
User Reviews
Many online reviews share our satisfaction with the company’s services, which meet basic PEO industry standards. For most customers, the software’s ease of use is one of the most critical factors as it simplifies operations for both employees and managers. A large number of users are also thrilled with the provider’s support team.
Customer Support
The level and quality of support are key selling points at Justworks. Whether you need assistance with payroll management or human resource support, Justworks responds swiftly.
The company’s teams are available 24/7 through different communication channels, including Slack, SMS, email, phone, and live chat.
Our Opinion
Justworks is an excellent solution for small businesses, allowing them access to PEO benefits that are generally reserved for larger companies. Although the provider offers packages for companies with more than 175 employees, it can also accommodate those with less than 25 workers.
Insperity
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Pros
- •Full-service HR for just five employees
- •Huge base of online materials
- •iOS and Android app
Cons
- •Website is hard to navigate
- •Lack of pricing information
Formally known as Administaff, the company started out with a small team and focused on strengthening businesses by harnessing the power of HR. During the last few decades, this provider grew into one of the biggest PEOs, with more than 70 offices throughout the US.
Thanks to its comprehensive service that covers human resources, payroll, and benefit solutions, Insperity has a long list of clients. One of the biggest advantages of doing business with Insperity is that you’ll get customized services that fit your individual business needs.
In addition, the company assigns a dedicated team of HR professionals to every client.
Ease of Use
Insperity relieves businesses from time-consuming HR and payroll tasks. The provider has a well-organized, cloud-based platform that you can access from any device.
And while it doesn’t have the most appealing UI, it’s definitely convenient to use. Even if you haven’t used similar products before, it won’t be hard to fit Insperity into your business ecosystem.
You can log in to your Insperity account from your desktop or mobile phone. Your employees should also be able to use the platform and adopt it quickly. The employee self-service portal allows instant access to paystubs, benefits, and tax forms.
The Insperity software is cloud-based, meaning that your business information is stored on remote servers. This guarantees more protection and security for employee data. There's also a 2FA security layer for additional protection.
Business Solutions and Pricing Plans
Insperity offers highly scalable business solutions, including a full HR solution for businesses with 5 to 149 employees and PEO for companies with 150 to 5,000 employees. Whether you’re operating a small business or a large company, Insperity has you covered.
Unfortunately, self-employed entrepreneurs and startups with less than five workers can’t apply for the Insperity services.
It’s important to note that you’ll need to sign a two-year contract with Insperity. This is how long the company needs to gain an understanding of how your business works and how it should be managed.
Insperity doesn’t offer pricing online. It assigns a team of experts to assess the needs of individual businesses and comes up with custom pricing models.
Features
Insperity offers HR and payroll management services, in addition to employee benefits and compliance solutions.
If you’re concerned about staying up to date and maintaining compliance with the latest employment laws and regulations, Insperity is a great option. It offers risk mitigation and compliance solutions, with a team of well-versed experts constantly keeping an eye on any state, local, and federal law amendments.
Before you hire a new employee, the Insperity team of HR specialists will do a comprehensive background check and provide you with an expert review of every candidate.
Another great thing about the services provided by Insperity is that you can get payroll reports within a minute. All you have to do is log into your account via desktop or mobile and request the latest payroll data.
User Reviews
Insperity’s overall score on Trustpilot is 3.7, while on BBB, it has an A+ rating. The existing clients applaud Insperity for its easy-to-use dashboard and experienced HR specialists.
Customer testimonials underscore the affordability of the service for all business sizes.
Customer Support
In addition to comprehensive HR support, Insperity also offers a wide range of free online materials. The Insperity website is packed with online guides, articles, webinars, and magazines. You can learn about the latest HR policies, employee management, HR outsourcing, and more.
Our Opinion
It’s not uncommon for PEO companies to offer exclusively custom pricing information. By doing so, Insperity ensures that you don’t end up paying for features you don’t need. The plans are designed to bring about administrative relief, reduce liabilities, and give employees better benefits at affordable prices.
The UI isn’t always the easiest to navigate, but Insperity is still near the top of our list thanks to its flawless HR services, an unprecedented level of personal attention, and other features that allow you to focus on identifying the next business opportunity.
ADP TotalSource
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Pros
- •IRS-certified
- •Fortune 500 caliber benefits
Cons
- •Poor customer service
Founded in 1984, ADP offers both local and international PEO services. It’s a reputable company that has been among Fortune Magazine's World’s Most Admired Companies for the last 15 years.
ADP services are available globally. The company operates in the US and in more than 140 countries. That makes this company an ideal option for those who do business in more than one country.
Ease of Use
ADP TotalSource is an all-in-one product for payroll, HR services, employee benefits, and compliance. Simply put, this software is designed to cover all your employee-related business needs.
ADP TotalSource is easy to use. The program doesn’t require any complicated installation on your office computers. Everything can be done online with the support of a dedicated HR specialist. Your employees also get access to the ADP TotalSource program enabling them to check pay stubs, sign up for health benefits, review their working hours, and more.
Regardless of the device or operating system you use, you’ll get to enjoy a modern, intuitive interface. The solution enables both managers and employees to download a mobile app and stay on top of everything that’s happening, including changing legislation.
Business Solutions and Pricing Plans
ADP is a great solution for all types of businesses. This provider works with different industries, including finance, retail, healthcare, construction, education, manufacturing, tech, and NGOs. In other words, you’re getting experienced support that is specialized for your area of business.
ADP doesn’t show pricing plans on its website. Instead, you’ll need to contact ADP agents to get a custom quote. ADP determines the overall cost based on your company’s size, geographic location, and the services you sign up for. It also offers many a la carte, such as employee information tracking and a vault for sensitive documents.
Features
ADP’s intuitive, easy-to-use program comes with tools for managing tax-related tasks. You can also request quarterly and annual payroll reports through the online dashboard.
Furthermore, the program is equipped with time tracking and attendance tools.
The ADP program enables you to use hiring and onboarding tools and grants users access to professional HR consultants.
The provider offers Fortune 500-level benefits, meaning that your employees will enjoy medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as a 401(k) plan.
User Reviews
On BBB, the company enjoys an A+ ranking. It has a 3.1 overall score on Trustpilot, but there are also dozens of negative reviews about this provider’s customer support. Also, many users claim they faced issues with payroll and that there were lots of inaccuracies the provider didn’t help them resolve.
Customer Support
The firm is proud of its customer support team despite a few online user reviews that suggest there is room for improvement. From our experience, the support team was polite and responded quickly to our questions. You can contact the support team by phone, email, and live chat.
Our Opinion
ADP’s IRS certification is reassuring. For business owners, this is important because it guarantees that all federal, state, and local taxes are properly filed. In addition to the excellent tax filing services, ADP’s main selling point is its technology. The PEO program is intuitive and easy to use. There’s also a mobile app that allows you to manage payroll, benefits, and compliance any time you want.
Amplify PEO
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Pros
- •Tax calculation and filling
- •Detailed payroll reports
- •Employee self-service
Cons
- •Lacks mobile app
Amplify is another big name on our list that offers custom-made PEO solutions for businesses of all types and sizes. Whether you need a team of HR experts to help you with hiring, onboarding, and benefits, or you just want to streamline your payroll, Amplify is a great choice.
The provider prides itself on its professional HR support. Its experts work closely with every client to ensure their business needs are met. Amplify helps with HR management, payroll, health insurance, and 401(k).
Moreover, it provides an excellent risk management service. The company also claims that it can help businesses save an average of $1,185 per employee every year.
Ease of Use
Amplify’s main goal is to streamline administrative tasks so you can focus on growth and opportunities. That’s why Amplify created an all-in-one PEO program that takes care of every employee-related component - screening, hiring, and retiring.
The program is cloud-based and comes with modern HR technology features. In addition to protecting the private information of your employees, the software can also be useful for businesses that already have an HR department. It helps the team automate payroll, manage new workers, track working hours, and more.
Meanwhile, Amplify’s payroll services extend to administration and paycheck distribution as well as W-2 preparation. Employees can choose different benefits packages and review payroll documentation.
Business Solutions and Pricing Plans
Amplify doesn’t have a pricing list on its website. The only way to find out about the costs is to contact support. The representatives will ask you about your company’s size and the services you want to purchase. Based on these and other factors, they’ll come up with a quote.
Amplify is a good solution for small and mid-sized businesses, allowing them to get custom-made packages at an affordable price. This provider collaborates with many companies nationwide, and your employees can enjoy benefits that are generally afforded to large companies.
Features
Of course, the selection of HR tools depends on the plan you choose. The provider allows you to purchase a full HR and payroll services package, but you can also get these services a la carte.
Amplify is arguably best known for its experienced HR professionals. They are well versed in multiple industries and have experience in working with different types of businesses. You’ll get an agent who specializes in managing businesses similar to yours.
Furthermore, Amplify offers benefits solutions that include medical, dental, and vision plans. Clients also get risk management and compliance services that cover everything from workers' compensation to employment practices liability insurance.
User Reviews
Generally, Amplify’s current clients are most satisfied with HR and payroll professionals. When a problem occurs, they can easily contact a dedicated HR expert and get answers from an actual person.
The downside with this provider is its mysterious pricing system. It doesn’t offer pricing information, which means that you’ll need to spend some time in direct communication with the representative to get a quote for your business needs.
Customer Support
When it comes to Amplify customer service, you can reach agents via phone, email, or by filling an online form on the website.
Amplify doesn't offer much in the way of online materials. There are no guides, articles, or other content to help you understand what its services are.
Our Opinion
Overall, Amplify is worth a try if you need dedicated round-the-clock HR support. You will be able to speak with your dedicated HR professional whenever the need arises. Another significant advantage is the company’s strategic approach that can help with revenue generation and cutting costs.
Infiniti HR
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Pros
- •Great for enterprises
- •Personalized services
- •State-specific HR management
Cons
- •Lacks pricing transparency
Specializing in customizable HR and payroll services for franchises, the company has many clients in the hospitality sector, including Best Western, Hyatt, and Choice Hotels International. Infiniti HR is best known for helping businesses with payroll, employee management, benefits, and risk management, among other tasks.
This company works in all 50 states. In 2014, Infiniti launched its first software solution for streamlining HR and payroll tasks.
Ease of Use
The Infiniti HR ecosystem manages payroll, benefits, compliance, attendance, and other employee-related tasks. The software is easy to use and feature-rich. It is praised for its excellent performance and speed. The program includes tools for streamlining payouts and simplifying time-consuming HR tasks.
Business Solutions and Pricing Plans
Infiniti HR and payroll services are available for all business sizes and types, but this company is especially famous for providing PEO perks to franchises and big hotels.
One of the best things about Infiniti HR is that it allows clients to apply for customized PEO options. You don’t need to use full-HR support. Instead, you can personalize services depending on the level of support you need.
For example, if your company already has a well-coordinated and efficient accounting system, you might not use Infiniti payroll support. The company will charge you for services that you actually need. This kind of flexibility is especially important for large companies.
Features
Infiniti is the best choice for businesses that want to outsource human resource services. The company provides full-HR support for anything you need - from creating employee onboarding guides to helping you manage your employees while reducing costs and risks.
Infiniti HR covers a range of employee benefits, including Infiniti health, dental, vision, and life insurance. It also handles unemployment claims and benefits, accident insurance, and more. Part of the service extends to the recruiting process and helps clients attract and retain the most talented individuals.
User Reviews
User reviews only serve to confirm our positive assessment of Infiniti’s intuitive and easy-to-use software. The software is fast and regularly updates information on employees.
Clients are also satisfied with the company’s customer support.
Infiniti HR has an A+ rating on BBB.
Customer Support
One of the things that we like the most about this provider is its customer service. Even if you are not an Infiniti HR client, your questions will be answered immediately. The representatives answer quickly via phone and live chat.
Our Opinion
As far as we’re concerned, Infiniti HR is one of the most reputable companies for managing human resource tasks. Large companies and enterprises will benefit the most from this provider.